Sources close to Microsoft have revealed that the next version of Windows, code named "Windows 7", is expected to ship in around three years. The new version was a topic at a recent field sales force meeting.

Few details are known about plans for the new operating system other than it will have 32- and 64-bit versions and come in consumer and business editions like Vista did. A subscription mode is also being considered.

"Microsoft is scoping Windows 7 development to a three-year time frame, and then the specific release date will ultimately be determined by meeting the quality bar," said a spokesperson for the software giant.